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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27932059">xb's Illness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightFlyer17771/pseuds/NightFlyer17771'>NightFlyer17771</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft Hurt/Comfort [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Permadeath, Poison, Poisoning, Requested, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:34:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,551</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27932059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightFlyer17771/pseuds/NightFlyer17771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This one is a request by Tristan_Trans. </p><p>xb gets poisoned by some wither skeletons, makes it back through his portal and to his base. He is unsure if he should call for help, would it be worth it? Would anyone bother saving him?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft Hurt/Comfort [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2223954</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>xb's Illness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His lungs felt like they were being dragged through sand. His throat scratched and his breath wheezed. </p><p>The Nether disappeared in blurry purple swirls. Whether the blurriness was from the Nether portal or his own faltering vision was unclear. </p><p>The humidity and smoldering heat shifted to the cooler air of the overworld. Then a picture came brighter of his base as the portal unraveled from around him. </p><p>Although his skin felt the coolness of the changed atmosphere, he did not. He felt like he was still in the Nether, his whole body felt heated and slow, and his lungs heaved. </p><p>xb stumbled away from the swirling portal as to not be sucked back through. If he did he didn't think he had the physical strength to get home again, so he stayed away. He tried too hard to keep a straight path and remember the way back through the fortress, and now that he was back he didn't want to leave again. </p><p>He could only manage a few steps before his trembling legs gave out. He hit the ground and with a grunt. It was at this point that he wished he made his floor out of something softer or even had carpet layering it as some other Hermits did. </p><p>xb was tired, the wither was draining his life quickly. He stayed on the ground, gasping through gritted teeth as the roughness in his throat scratched. </p><p>He became weaker and weaker, and pain started forming in his back. </p><p>He needed help, he knew he did and he knew he couldn't get out of this alive alone. His communicator was in his pocket and he could simply push the emergency button and have his need be broadcasted throughout the whole server. </p><p>But he didn't think anyone would come running, not for him. </p><p>Another particularly nauseating wave from the wither sent his vision dark. He pinched his eyes tight. </p><p>For a normal wither effect by one wither skeleton, someone could survive just fine, they would be out of commission for a few days after the attack though. Two wither effects were harder to survive from, but there was a chance. xb had three. </p><p>The pain in his back began to spread to his legs where his muscles cramped up and his bones felt heavy. </p><p>He groaned as more pain came up to his shoulders and arms. He decided to relax on the floor, every voluntary movement sent surging pain through him. </p><p>He tried to take deeper breaths, fighting through the pain in his lungs. He instead started coughing, rich coughs of painful breaths. </p><p>But xb was unsure if anyone would care to pay the message any mind. He didn't think anyone would come for him. After all his attitude of leaving the mainlands and the hermits to exclude himself away was as much of a "Leave me alone, I don't like you," message as anything. No one would want to come all the way out to him.</p><p>There was one way he could survive this wither poisoning his life. It was a potion, and it was uniquely made. Brewed with different items than the regular potions, and even with mixed in samples of some, this potion could fight off a wither effect this strong. </p><p>If that didn't work, he could pray to the void that he would wake up.</p><p>He coughed more and rested his head on the hard white ground. He closed his eyes and felt more of the wither invading him, draining his life, killing him.</p><p>He opens his eyes again and decided to relax. It was night time, he noticed now that he wasn’t struggling so much. Through the large windows surrounding him, he could see the looming black forms of near mountains.</p><p>xb thought about it. He didn’t think he could live through this in any case. Whether anyone came for him or not. But if there was a chance, he would take it.</p><p>He reached down into his pocket with slow, weak movements and a sore hand for his communicator. He brought the device to the floor with him and slid it to where he could see it.</p><p>He found the button and tried to push it in, it didn’t give.</p><p>He squeezed the communicator as hard as he could, pushing harder and harder on the outcropped button on the side. Then he let it go when his grip only weakened, unable to hold it any longer.</p><p>His arm relaxed onto the floor like the rest of him, the communicator left in his hand.</p><p>He was breathing in little puffs now, not full breaths. He closed his eyes again, and this time didn’t open them.</p><p>-</p><p>“But it’s still too strong,”</p><p>“I know. You still need to wai-”</p><p>-</p><p>xb opened his eyes to light. His head hurt and he felt heavy.</p><p>He remembered why he was feeling so bad and he still felt the wither attacking him.</p><p>“xb?” he heard his name called.</p><p>“Is he awake?”</p><p>Yes. He wanted to say. He couldn't see anything and every muscle and limb was heavy. The back of his head and his back felt like it had been hit with a rock. He closed his eyes tightly with the newfound pain. </p><p>It was too bright and with an effort, he brought his arm up to cover his eyes.</p><p>“Hold on, don’t move so much. You still have the wither affecting you,”</p><p>He didn’t know those voices and he wasn’t sure they were real. Where did they come from and why were they here? He thought he was hallucinating now, he didn’t remember that being a side effect.</p><p>He didn’t bother exploring that theory anymore. He realized he could breathe easier than before, and the pain, although it was there, was not nearly as severe. </p><p>Now, he decided, was a great time to go back to sleep. While he was in less pain to stop him.</p><p>-</p><p>“xb? Hey, you with us yet?”</p><p>He was not. He couldn’t’ even feel himself yet. Then he felt warmth, he didn’t know where it was coming from and he wasn’t sure how he felt it, but it was there and it was a wonderful feeling.</p><p>-</p><p>“xb?”</p><p>There were shuffling feet and he felt a shadow looming near.</p><p>“xb, ‘common,”</p><p>He wasn’t sure who that was, but it sounded urgent. He was then trying to wake up for them. Trying to feel his hands and open his eyes.</p><p>“Yes, you’re so close. Wake up,”</p><p>He was becoming more aware of himself. He felt his own limbs, his feet, and fingertips. He felt a softness under his hands. </p><p>He was cold, cold from within.</p><p>His lips were dry and he took in cool air.</p><p>“xb?”</p><p>That was another person he knew and he identified it as the second person. </p><p>xb opened his eyes slowly. It was dark, and once he knew this he looked on fully.</p><p>It seemed he was no longer on the floor as he was either. He was wrapped up tightly in a giving bed.</p><p>“Hello!” he looked over to two people. One standing over him and the other sitting neatly on the bed next to him.</p><p>“Hello. . . xb?” Beed was sitting next to him, and he seemed adamant about getting a response.</p><p>“Hmm,” he acknowledged them.</p><p>“Oh my goodness xb. Don’t you ever do that to me ever again,” Beef said as if he was the one in pain?</p><p>xb tried harder to focus on him. He blinked once and again.</p><p>“What?” he questioned. Beed and Etho were here. They traveled thousands of thousands of blocks to get here. And they actually made it in time to save him?</p><p>"When we found you we thought we might need to call Xisuma back. He's off-world right now if you didn't know," Etho said, adding an explanation when he made a confused face. </p><p>But that was not why he was confused. "You're. . . here?" xb said as if it were unbelievable. </p><p>"Of course, you sent an SOS throughout the server, and we show up to find you withering away." Beef hesitated for a moment. "Do you not remember?" </p><p>xb felt his heart breaking and his eyes getting hot. "You're here," he said again. He was alive and breathing and it would be okay. "I didn't think. . . well-" </p><p>Beef reached for him and pulled him up while the blanket slipped from his shoulders. He was imbraced into a tight hug, Beef's hand holding his head close. </p><p>The bed dipped and Etho joined them. "You thought what? Thay we wouldn't come and help you? That we were going to ignore you?"</p><p>". . . Yes." xb admitted. He stayed quiet after that, safe and hidden in Beef's shoulder. </p><p>They both stayed silent though, a question still in the air. "I thought that. . . because I secluded myself so far away, that no. . . no one would bother," he said sheepishly. </p><p>"Is that all?"</p><p>No, it wasn't all. He didn't think anyone cared. But after this, did he still think that? "I didn't think anyone cared," and he continued quieter. "I didn't think anyone would come looking for me,"</p><p>"And do you still think that?" Etho pushed. </p><p>xb stopped to think about it. They did drop everything to come and find him. They came for him. He couldn't really make an argument even to himself. "No,"</p>
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